It was the annual state testing day, and as usual, the air was thick with a mix of nervous energy and boredom. the students of Rearview Middle School shuffled into their assigned classrooms, clutching freshly sharpened pencils and graph paper like they were preparing for battle.
Mr. Langston, the math teacher, stood at the front of room 102. His monotonous voice rattled off instructions that no one really listened to. Everyone knew the drill: no talking, no looking at each other, and absolutely no leaving until the test was over.
The first 15 minutes passed uneventfully, except for the occasional scratching of pencils. Then it happened.
“Uh, Mr. Langston?” said Olivia, sitting near the window. She was the kind of student who never spoke unless necessary. Today, her facial expression screamed confusion.
“Yes, Olivia?” Mr. Langston asked, not bothering to look up from his phone.
“There’s a… llama outside.”
The class burst into giggles, laughter, and other weird looks. A llama? During state testing? Mr. Langston sighed and walked over to the window, clearly expecting a distraction tactic.
But Olivia wasn’t lying. Standing in the middle of the school’s courtyard was indeed a llama, munching lazily on the grass.
“Stay seated,” Mr. Langston said, his voice suddenly tense. He stepped out of the room to probably tell the office.
As soon as the door clicked shut, the classroom erupted.
“A llama? Seriously?!” said Bella spinning around in her chair.
“I told you!” Olivia said, a mix of pride and panic on her face.
“Do you think it escaped from a zoo or something?” Mia asked moving her neck to see what was out the window.
Before anyone could answer, the light flickered. Not just in the classroom, but across the whole school. A low humming noise filled the room, making everything move.
“Whoa,” said Alex, his eyes wide. “What is that?”
The hum grew louder, and the llama outside suddenly stopped eating. It raised its head, looking directly at room 102. That’s when things got really weird.
The llama’s eyes started glowing. Not just reflecting sunlight—actual glowing, like tiny flashlights. It stepped closer to the window, its hooves clinking against the concrete like metal.
“Oh my gosh,” Olivia whispered. “It’s a robot!”
The class froze, staring at the robot llama. Then, without warning, the intercom buzzed to life.
“Attention students,” said a robotic voice that sounded nothing like Principal Harris. “Testing has been… upgraded. Begin ‘Level Two’.”
“What’s Level Two?” Mia asked, but no one had an answer.
The tests on everyone’s desks suddenly changed. The questions, which had been about math and reading, now displayed strange symbols and puzzles.
Some questions looked like riddles, while others had moving parts on the page, like holograms.
“This is nuts,” Jake said. “How are we supposed to answer these riddles?”
“Maybe it’s extra credit?” Olivia guessed, though she didn’t sound convinced.
Then the llama’s glowing eyes projected a beam of light onto the floor in front of them. A message appeared, written in perfect cursive:
“SOLVE THE PUZZLES TO UNLOCK YOUR EXIT.”
“Unlock our exit?” Alex repeated. “We’re locked in?”
Everyone bolted to the door, but it wouldn’t budge. Even the windows seemed to be sealed.
“We’re trapped with a robot llama and a test from The Twilight Zone,” Mia groaned.
“Okay, okay,” Olivia said, taking charge. “Let’s just figure out these puzzles. Maybe it’s like an escape room.”
The students worked together, solving riddles, decoding symbols, and even rearranging holographic shapes. Every time they solved a question, the lights flickered again, and the llama outside stomped its hoof like it was keeping score.
Finally, after what felt like an hour, the last puzzle was solved. The llama’s eyes dimmed, and the door to the classroom unlocked with a soft click. The intercom buzzed again.
“Congratulations,” the robotic voice said. “You passed Level Two.”
The class stared at each other, dumbfounded, as Mr. Langston walked back in.
“Everything okay?” he asked holding a cup of coffee like nothing strange had happened
“Yeah,” Jake said slowly. “Just… normal testing stuff.”
Outside the llama was gone.
But on every test paper, one last question appeared:
Are you ready for level three?
“Oh hell nah,” everyone exclaimed.
